Workbench Wins Two Citation Awards from AIA Monterey Bay for Completed Local Housing Projects
Workbench is thrilled to have recognized by the 2023 AIA Monterey Bay Design Award Judges. Both Casa Azul, our historic remodel/repurposing, and The Dwellings, our modern mini infill neighborhood, are at the heart of Workbench’s values, and vision for the future of the Monterey Bay region.
Casa Azul
The Dwellings
AIA Monterey Bay Chapter & Design Awards
The Monterey Bay Chapter is the regional voice for the architectural profession, serving as an educational resource to the community and uniting its members to promote the quality of the built environment. Its Design Awards Program is conducted every two years. Entries represent a broad spectrum of building types and locales from the Central California Coast region to abroad. This year’s entries were judged on their own merits regardless of the scale or cost of the project. Awards were given following the AIA National guidelines. It’s citation awards were given to projects with noteworthy design features such as site placement, use of materials and detailing, integration of technology, economy of construction.
Summary
Workbench submitted multiple entries, both built and in development. The two projects that were recognized were two of our earliest housing design/build projects that are now complete and occupied.
Casa Azul
https://workbenchbuilt.com/casa-azul
Casa Azul in Santa Cruz is a project with a single goal: to provide permanent housing for local people experiencing homelessness. The project created seven units of permanent supportive housing within 4,300 SF of renovated historical construction. Purchased by Housing Matters in 2010 due to the proximity to the organization’s campus, the project was intended from the outset for occupancy by members of the ever-growing homeless population of Santa Cruz County. As part of the organization’s campus, Casa Azul is co-located at with other homeless services and support facilities at a critical location for this population.
The Dwellings
https://workbenchbuilt.com/the-dwellings
This infill project created 13 new townhomes and two remodeled single-family homes (15 single-family residences, ranging in size from 950 SF - 1,715 SF) on an underutilized site along Soquel Avenue. It serves as a shining example of how increasing density within an existing neighborhood can create a new sense of vibrancy, optimism, and community.
The existing site contained two single-family homes, both of which had been minimally maintained and one of which was blocking access to the main portion of the site. Rather than simply demolishing the existing homes and leveling the site, great effort was put into relocating an existing cottage residence and upgrading both of the existing homes to come closer to meeting current energy standards, creating a cohesive micro neighborhood.
The new townhomes embrace a clean, modern aesthetic using a repeating gable form cantilevered over volumes of smooth cement plaster. Wood-look siding is introduced on the insides of the gable forms and wraps the decking and soffits, bringing warmth and human scale to the simple architectural lines.
Quotes From Our Designers
“Two AIAMB awards! It felt great to have our earliest work, our values, and our team supported by a wider group of peers. Our work was presented professionally and beautifully, and I loved writing about the projects.”
—Alexandra, AIA
“AIAMB Design awards for TWO projects. How did two really different housing projects get selected? I account that not only for good design, but a strong set of values at providing housing across different groups in our region.”
—Libby Barnes, AIA
Solving For Housing & Community
Workbench is proud to be a leader in creating high quality housing that promotes living sustainably and closer in an effort to address affordability. For questions about this press release reach out at hello@workbenchbuilt.com.